Arunachal: AAVETA stages protest demanding salary hike in Itanagar

ITANAGAR: All Arunachal Vocational Education Teachers Association (AAVETA) moved in for its final day of peaceful protest demanding salary hike today at Tennis court, Indira Gandhi park of capital Itanagar.

'This is the third day of our dharna but sadly no government officials have responded to us. If it continues this way, we have to take further step. our fight will continue' Leibi Lollen, one of the vocational teacher in the Dharna stated.

The Teachers are demanding for 22 percent of pay hike, 3 percent of DA annually and implementation

of one go regularization of Vocational teachers and Lab Assistant in line to government order issued on 2018.

Speaking to media , Kesang Drema Nathangjee shared 'it is extremely hard to survive in the salary that we get. We have to adjust our rent bill, run the whole household and many of us in fact have families. We have been surviving on the same salary since the 2015'

More than 276 vocational teachers from different part of the state participated in the Dharna.

AAVETA members said that they are seeking “one-go regularization of vocational teachers as per the last election manifesto of the BJP, besides early implementation of the 22 percent pay hike along with 3 percent DA (annually) as per the government order issued on 1 April, 2018.”

Giving the example of states such as Assam and Kerala, which have regularized vocational teachers, the AAVETA sought to know why the state government is delaying the regularization of the vocational teachers of the state.

The vocational teachers said that they have submitted numerous representations to the chief minister and the education secretary but have not received a positive response.“We still hope that the government will address our grievance, but failing to address will lead to another phase of democratic movement,” the teachers said.

The vocational teachers were recruited under the Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan in 2015 for 21 higher secondary schools (later extended to 99 schools).